Derbyshire’s top coroner blasts Government at high-profile beheading inquest

Michael Broomhead

Derbyshire’s senior coroner has hit out at the Government during a high-profile inquest into the death of a British aid worker who was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan.

Dr Robert Hunter voiced concern after it emerged at the inquest that Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff had not received kidnap response training at the time of Khalil Dale’s abduction.

He also said he intends to write to the Government and the chief coroner with concerns over the disclosure and sharing of information for the inquest – which took place almost four years after Mr Dale’s death.

Mr Dale was abducted by masked men while working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Quetta, south-west Pakistan, on January 6, 2012.

David Peppiatt, who leads the British Red Cross’ international division, told the court Mr Dale received security briefings and kidnap training before his posting to Quetta and was aware of the risks.

He also confirmed that Mr Dale – who had previously suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder following other humanitarian postings when he had been detained, tortured and witnessed the killing of two colleagues – received health assessments before going to Quetta.